Compound gas-engine.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. W. EISBNHUTH.

COMPOUND GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1905.

2 SHEBTS SHEBT l.

No. 809,791. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. J. w. EISENHUTH.

COMPOUND GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED muzs, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN IV. EISENHUTH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE EISENHUTHHORSELESS VEHICLE 00., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

COMPOUND GAS-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. EISENHUTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Gas-Engines;andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-engines, and moreparticularly to compound engines.

It consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents averticallongitudinalsection through an engine constructed in accordance with myinvention, the parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 representsahorizontalsection through the cylinders of my improved engine in a linewith one set of valves. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse sectionthrough one set of valves. Fig. .4 represents a detail side elevation ofthe valves used in my engine. Fig. 5 represents a detail sectional viewthrough one of the cylinders, showing the manner of mounting theelectrodes, and Fig.6 represents a detail view of the electrodes carriedby the piston-heads.

My invention is designed to use an explosive mixture for operating thepistons of an engine and then conveying the partially-spent gases intothe low-pressure cylinder for further utilizing the power thereof, thusmaking a compound engine of the same.

In carrying out the features of my invention the main shaft 1 issupported upon a suitable frame, as 2, said shaft being provided withouter cranks 3 3 and a central crank 4. The power-shaft is provided witha suitable fly-wheel, and the cranks 3 3 are connected with thepiston-rods of the high-pressure cylinders by means of the pitmen 5 5.The pistons 6 6 move in high-pressure cylinders 7 7, said pistons beingconnected to the pitman 5 by means of their piston-rods 8 through themedium of suitable cross-heads. The highpressure cylinders 7 arepreferably formed in the opposite ends of the cylinder structure, alow-pressure cylinder 9 being interposed between them, as clearly seenin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. These cylinders are all preferablysurrounded by water-jackets, as 10, to prevent the said cylinders frombecoming overheated. The high-pressure cylinders 7 are of course muchsmaller than the lowpressure cylinder 9, and the low-pressure piston 11is therefore much larger than the highpressure piston 6 6. Thelow-pressure piston 11 is provided with a piston-rod 12, which isconnected, by means of a pitman 13, with the crank 4.

The explosive mixture, preferably of gas and air, is first conductedinto the high-pressure cylinders, where it is compressed and exploded atthe proper time. The partiallyspent gases are then conducted throughsuitable ports into the cylinder 9 for exerting what remaining forcethey possess upon the large piston 10. To control this action of thegases, I employ valve mechanism which forms an important feature of myinvention. The cylinders may be run by explosions at each end thereof,if desired, or at only one end. I preferably employ cylinders which arecapable of having an explosion in each end and have so illustrated theinvention in the accompanying drawings. Each of the cylinders 7 isprovided with an inlet-port, as 14, at its upper end and a similar port15 at its lower end. These inlet ports 14 and 15 admit charge ofexplosive mixture to the ends of the cylinder from feed-pipes 16 and 17,said inletports being regulated by upper and lower valves 18 and 19.These valves are preferably cylindrical in shape and hollow, asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The valves are provided withports, as 20 20, which when the valves are lifted coincidesimultaneously with the inlet-pipes and the inletports and permit themixture to flow into the cylinders. When the valves are dropped, theports are closed. In order to operate these valves in conjunction withthe movement of the pistons, the said upper and lower valves 18 and 19are provided, respectively, with valvestems 21 and 22, the valve-stem 22being larger than the valve-stem 21 and made hollow to receive the same.The valves move in suitable valve-chests, as 23 and 24, and their stemsextend downwardly to a point near the power-shaft. In order to lift thevalve-stems up and down cams, as 25 and 26, are mounted uponactuating-shafts 27, preferably arranged transversely of the machine,said shafts 27;

being provided with bevel-gears, as 28, which mesh with correspondingbevel-gears 29 upon a shaft 30, arranged parallel with the powershaft 1and a little to one side thereof. The shaft 30 receives its motion fromthe main shaft by means of a gear-wheel 31, which meshes with a pinion32 upon the said power-shaft. It will be seen from Fig. 1 of thedrawings that the earns 25 and 26 are preferably lugshaped projectionsprovided with heads which engage and are secured upon the shafts 27. Thecontours of these lugs or wings are such as to lift the valve-stems atthe proper time. As seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the cam 25 isadapted to engage the lower end of the upper valve-stem 21, while thecam 26 is adapted to engage the projection 33 on the lower end of thehollow valve-stem 22. Each of the valve stems 21 and 22 is normally heldin its lower position by means of coil springs 34 35 engaging collarssecured to each of the valve-stems and clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. When the valvestems are lifted by means of the cams, theyare forced against the action of those springs. When the cams cease tolift the said stems, they at once resume their lowered positions. Itwill be seen that the upper valve-stem passes through the lower hollowvalve-stem and is guided in its position thereby. This constructionenables me to arrange the valves and their stems with an economical useof space.

Each of the cylinders 7 is connected at its upper and lower ends withthe low-pressure cylinder 9 by means of ports 36 36, the said portsbeing controlled by suitable valves. The low-pressure cylinder is alsoconnected, by means of ports 37, with an exhaust-pipe 38, the saidexhaust being controlled by suitable valves. The valves which controlthe ports 36 and 37 are preferably semicircular hollow valves, asclearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. These valves are provided withflat adjoining faces which slide upon each other. For controlling theports 36 upper and lower semicircular valves 39 and 40 are used. Thesevalves, like the valves 18 and 19, heretofore described, are providedwith valve-stems 41 and 42, the stem 41 extending through the hollowvalve-stem 42. These valve-stems are normally held down by means of thecoil-springs 43 43, engaging collars upon the said stems. Theexhaust-ports 37 are controlled by hollow semicircular valves 44 and 45,which are provided with valve-stems 46 and 47, arranged to telescopewith respect to each other in the same manner as heretofore describedwith the other valve-stems, the springs 48 being used to hold them intheir lower positions. As seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each of thesemicircular valves is provided with suitable ports, registering withthe ports 36 and 37 when the valves are lifted, so as to control thepassage of the exhaust-gases from the same. The valvestems 41 and 42 areadapted to beoperated by the cams 50 and 51, secured to the shaft 27heretofore described, while the valvestems 46 and 47 are engaged andoperated by the cams 52 and 53, also carried by the said shafts 27. Themovement of the said valves may thus be timed with relation to themovement of the pistons in the cylinders so as to exhaust the vitiatedgases at the proper time. In order to explode the gases in thehigh-pressure cylinder at the proper time, each of the pistons in thesaid cylinders carries aprojection, as 54, the said projections 54beingprovided with transverse apertures 55. Electrodes, as 56 56, aresecured to a plate 57, said plate having a stud 58 for engaging one ofthe apertures 55. The stud 58 is held in position by means of nuts, as59. (Clearly seenin Fig. 5 of the drawings.) The electrodes 56 56 arepreferably arranged about at right angles to each other and are taperedoutwardly, as seen in Fig. 7. These electrodes as they are carried upand down by the piston-heads are adapted to engage spring-actuatedelectrodes 59, mountedinthecylinder-casings. Theelectrodes 59 slide inguide-sleeves 60, which are mounted in suitable insulating-sleeves 61,the

said insulating-sleeves being held in position in apertures formed inthe cylinder-casings. To the outer end of the sleeve 60 is screwed a cap62, which. receives the outer end of the electrode 59, the said capbeing provided with a guide-bearing 63. The inner end of the sleeve 60is held in position by means of a nut 65. A coil-spring 64, engaginga'collar on the electrode 59, holds the same normally in its innerposition. The electrodes 56 and 59 are preferably connected with theopposite poles of a battery, so that when the electrodes 56 snap by theelectrodes 59 they will produce suitable sparks in the cylinders forexploding the mixture therein. By employing a double electrode of thecharacter described the surety of producing a spark at the proper timeis greatly increased, for if one electrode should not operate for somereason the other is almost sure to perform its function.

It will be noted from the above description that I am enabled to producea compound gas: engine in a very compact form and to arrange its valvesso that they are easily operated and fully capable of controlling thegaseous mixture. The parts are also simple in construction and notlikely to get out of order easily. It will be observed that by using thelow-pressure cylinder that after gases have been partially expended inthe high-pressure cylinders they can be further used in the saidlow-pressure cylinder, thus further exhausting their power. It will thusresult that when the vitiated gases leave the low-pressure cylinder theywill have little or no remaining power and make a practically noiselessexhaust. It will be obvious that the cylinders may be operated byexplosions at only one end, and when thus IIO IIS

used the lower ends of the said cylinder may be left open and the pitmanmay be connected directly with the pistons without departing in theleast from the spirit of my invention.

It will be evident from the drawings that the piston in the low-pressurecylinder will have a movement alternately with that of the pistons inthe high-pressure cylinders, the cranks upon the main power-shaft beingarranged diametrically opposite each other for this purpose. Thisrenders it possible to use the engine as a compound engine, the low--pressure cylinder exhausting when the charges in the high-pressurecylinders are exploding and expanding and the low-pressure cylinderreceiving its power when the high-pressure cylinders are exhausting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas-engine, the combination with high-pressure cylinders, of alow-pressure cylinder adapted to be operated by the exhaust from thesame, piston-valves mounted in pockets or recesses formed in theenginecasing between said cylinders for controlling the movement of thegaseous mixture, the said valves being arranged inpairs and moving uponeach other in said pockets but controlling ditferent ports, telescopingstems secured to the said valves, and cams for engag,

ing the valve-stems so as to reciprocate the valves independently ofeach other, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination with suitable cylinders, of pistonsmoving therein for operating a power-shaft, piston-valves for regulatingthe admission of explosive compounds to the said pistons, the saidvalves occupying pockets or recesses formed in the engine-frame betweenthe cylinders so as not to be exposed, two valves being arranged to moveupon each other in each pocket or. recess, valve-stems secured to saidvalves, one of the said valve-stems passing through the other so thatthe valves may be operated independently of each other, cams appliedside by side upon a cam-shaft and extending in different directions uponthe same for engaging the valvestems to operate the valves,substantially as described.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination with suitable cylinders and pistonsoperatingtherein, of piston-valves for admitting explosive mixturesagainst each end of the said pistons, said valves being hollow andhaving flat adjoining faces working on each other so that one finds abearing upon the other, each of the said valves having ports forpermitting the gaseous mixtures to pass through them, each valvecontrolling a different set of ports, springs for moving the valves inone direction and cams for operating them in the other direction,substantially as described.

4:. In a gas-engine, the combination with high-pressure cylinders and alow-pressure cylinder, of valves for admitting an explosive mixture tothe said high-pressure cylinders, said valves being cylindrical andhollow,valves for discharging the vitiated gases from the saidhigh-pressure cylinders into the lowpressure cylinder, and valves forregulating the exhaust of the said low-pressure cylinder, said valvesbeing semicylindrical in form and sliding upon each other, whereby theymay be compactly mounted in the said engine, substantially as described.

5. In a gas-engine, the combination of high-pressure cylinders, alow-pressure cylinder mounted between them and adapted to receive theexhaust from each end of each of the high-pressure cylinders, pistonsmoving in each of the said cylinders, piston-rods connecting the saidpistons with a suitable powershajt't, electrodes mounted in each end'ofeach high-preseure cylinder, coacting electrodes secured to thepiston-rods of the high-pressure cylinders and arranged upon each sideof the pistons so as to explode the gaseous mixtures upon opposite sidesof the pistons, valves arranged in pairs for controlling the gaseousmixtures in the engine, the engineframing being provided with socketsfor receiving the said valves, each pair of valves being adapted to justfill the diameter of the said sockets, the said valves also being formedof hollow casings having suitable ports formed therein and beingprovided with adjacent bearing-surfaces so that they slide upon eachother, and means for moving the said valves independently of each other,substantially as described.

In testimony WllGlBOfI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN WV. EISENHUTH.

I/Vitnesses:

JOHN L. FLEToI-IER, RU'rI-I J. MITCHELL.

